Device for feeding cigarettes



Feb. 22, 1927. 1,618,214.

- W. E. MOLINS DEVICE FOR FEEDI-NG CIGARETTE-S I Filed July 20, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.4.

Feb. 22,1927.

2 I w. E. MOLINS DEVICE 'FOR FEEDING CIGARETTES Filed Juiy'zo, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i I ll lm lInul M In Feb. 22, 1927.

3 Sheets-Shee t 5 Filed July 20, 1925 Fig.3.

" articles pass from a hopper into substan- Patented F eh. 22, 1927.

UNITED WALTER EVERETT Mo INs, or Lennon, ENGLAND.

DEVICE FOR FEEDING CIGARETTES.

Application filed July 20, 1925, Serial No. 44,948, and in Great Britain July 23,1924.

This invention relates to improvements in feeding cigarettes and articles of similar shape in apparatus of the type wherein the tially vertical channels or vanes.

Heretofore in apparatus of the type referred to it has been customary to remove the cigarettes or the like from below the vanes by means of a plunger or by a con factory in cases in which the cigarettes vary in' bulk or diameter. 1

In such cases the cigarettes form a varyingbulk when superposed and a plunger or conveyor designed to remove, for example, three superposed rows of cigarettes is liable to remove cigarettes from a fourth row if v rette hopper 1 having vibrating vanes 2 bethe'cigarettes run small in diameter, or to miss the third row it the cigarettes run large in diameter or are misshapen.

Further, whenfseveral rows are removed together, the lower rows cannot be inspected, Whereas with the present method or removal each row can be seen by the operator. r

The invention has for its objects to provide an improved method of and means for removing the cigarettes or the like in apparatus ofthe type referred to which shall be free from the above disadvantages.

According to the invention a suitably mounted table is arranged below thebottom of the'chan'n'els or vanes, theclearance between the table and the vanes being preferably equal 'to approximately half the diameter of the cigarette or like article which is to I n be removed. The cigarettes or the like are then moved from beneath the vanes a row at atimeby means of cross bars or the like preferably carried on two continuously ro- ,tated endless chains, into a channel in which a continuous conveyor operates. The single-rows are superposed 1n the channel and when the desired number ofrows have been superposedthe bundle is moved by the conalong thetable, and for compressing, levelling andsqu'aring the bunch operated on by the continuous conveyor. Further H improved means are provided for delivering rows containing an odd number of cigarettes to enable bunches to be formed comprising top 1 and bottom rowso'i seven cigarettes each with a row of six in the middle'or' any other desired odd row formation as hereinafter fully described. To enable the invention to be'fully understood it will now'be described by referenceto the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig.1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a cigarette feeding apparatus having the invention applied 'thereto; and' Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3- is a planof the apparatus.

Fig.4,is a side elevation of a portion of tween which the cigarettes pass to a sloping table 3 arranged beneath the bottom of the vanes. 2

The gap between the bottom of the vanes and the table is preferably equal to ap proximately half the diameter ofa cigarette and through this gap bars 4 carried upon continuously rotating endless chains 45 pass in order to removearow ofcigarettes irogn the table. The chains are carried onsprocket wheels 6,7,. r

The wheels'6 are mounted on a spindle 8' carried in bearing brackets 9 and are driven by a sprocket wheel 10 which isdriven inturn from any suitable source of power.

The sprocket wheels '7 are each mounted on a short spindle 7 so that the space between the chains is left free'for theb'ars' 4 to turn. It willbe noted that the bars 4: are mounted on chain blocks 5 which are inverted, thus 7 enabling the bars to'turn in a'small' se'mi-v circle at each end oft-he table. ,A slot 3 may be cut in the table to allow dust and l'oose'tobacco to fall through and holes may be formed in the machine bed beneath "the v i slot to allow the dust to fall intotrays be-Z neath the machine. 'Since the purpose, of this apparatus is to remove cigarettes in sin gle rows. atatime-from beneath the vanes, the spaces between thevanes are/made wider the apparatusfor compressing thecigathan in cases where a whole superposed bundle of rows is to be moved at once to cover certain variations in size of the cigarettes, the cigarettes being always under the control. of the vanes even when lying on the table, since the gap is only equal to half the diameter of a cigarette. The cigarettes are, therefore, spaced apart somewhat widely on the table and the bars 4 arecaused to carry the row between 'tapermg or curved slde guldes 12 to bunch up the row before pushmg it OK the end of theltable. v The guides 12 arev spaced above the table 3 to enable thebars 4 to pass below. Y Y

The end of the table 3 is bevelled at a and the action of the bars 4 is to push the cigarettes a row at a time through the guides is no possibility 12 and to allow themto fall into a channel or bed B in which pusher pieces '19 of an endless conveyor operate.

Asa row or cigarettes leaves the table 3 the-rear endsthereof naturally tilt upwards and to avoid the possibility of a pusher piece-119 passing below the tilted ends, a cover plate '13 preferably of transparent material is fitted over they guides 12.

. Thus the cigarettes are'prevented from falling until their rear ends reach the bevel' cThecom r-essor com rises a slidin block 14 guided in a bracket 15. and operated from a cam 40 on the main spindle41 of the hop .per througha link 42 engaging a two-armed lever 43 mounted on a spindle 44,,one arm thereof carrying a roller 45 which engages the/slide of the block 14. As here shewn, the face of the block14 is formed with projections 14?" which pass throughslo'ts formed in the adjacent guide 11 to make contact with and compress the cigarettes. If desired the compressor. may be a plain 1 block forming'one of the guides 11 in its fout position.

Over the top of the guides 11 a noviiig presser plate or leveller 16 is arranged,rcarried' on a-lever 17 pivoted at 1'? to one arm of a bell crank lever 46, mounted on the spindle 44. A roller 47 is mounted on the lever 46 engaging a cam 48 on the compressor slide. A spring 50 isfitted between the lever 17 and one'arm of the lever 46, which yields if the leveller is stopped by any obstruction. As the compressor slide is moved, the cam 48 causes the plat-e16 to be lowered into emma contact with the bunch of cigarettes and sub sequently raised. This leveller plate'may be independently operated if desired.

In front of thecigarette bunch a swinging leveller plate 18, pivoted between the in Fig. 2 may be-provided.

The apparatus is so timed that after a bunch of cigarettes has been compressed a pusher piece 19 on the conveyor moves the bunch forward and at this moment the leveller plate 16 operates to level the top of the bunch and simultaneously the forward ends of the bunch meet the plate 18so' that the bunch is squared neatly. As the cigarettes pass on, the. plate 18 rises above the bunch as shewn'in full lines, Fig. 1, and falls into normal position when the bunch has passed. The squared bunch is then carried between guides 21 to the packing portion of the machine. t 1

The compressing mechanism-is only required when it is desired to pack the bunches in tightly fitting paper packets. If, for example, the cigarettes are to be packedinto. boxes of the slide and shell type the compressing machine maybe omitted and the top leveller plate operated independently.

It will be seen, onreference to Fig. 1, that three conveyor bars 4 are arranged somewhat close together on the chains,'leaving .a considerable empty space on the chains. This allows the compressing and othermovements to take place. Thus;- in the arrangement shewn, three rows of cigarettes are delivered rapidly to the channel B, thetiming being such that thepusher piece 19 hasjust suliicient time to clear the bunch before the first row of the next bunch isdelivered to the channel.

If it is desired to pack the cigarettesin bunches having an odd number-of. cigarettes in one or other of the rows, a'device shewn in Fig. 2 may be provided. c,

As shewn, a bell cranklever 26 is mounted on a spindle 23 rocking in a bearing24 on. the vane brackets. At the lower end of lever 26 a bent plate 27 is mounted and the other end of thelever' islinked to a-rod 30 having a roller 29 engaging-a-cam28 on the main spindle 41 of the hopper. 'Rotation of the cam-28v causes the-end vofthe plate to be-projected into anopening formed in the adjacent vane slot preventing the ciga-i' rettes in that slot from falling. A spring81 returns the parts to their original positions,

Thus when the plate is inthe vane slot the conveyor bars move cigarettes' from beneath the other vane slots causing a row having one less cigarette than usual to be delivered to the channel B. V

This arrangement may be d'uplicated,"on V each side of the vane slots for example, or

modified in various ways to suit different requirements. I 7 I The guides 21 may be fitted with" strips'22 in combination a vhopper adaptedito hold to hold the middle row of cigarettes in position in the known manner, when it isid-e sired to pack bunches having upper and lower'rows of seven cigarettes and a middle row of (six, cigarettes, for example. Obvlously the apparatus may be used for packing bunches of any desired number ,of super-' posed rows and With any desired number of cigarettes in each row. V f

It Will be understood that various modifications of the apparatus abovedescribed may be made. For example, the moving bars and the continuous conveyor may be-re-i placed by suitable reciprocating members if desired, or the conveyors moved intermittently.

Icla1m: 1. A cigarette feeding device comprising cigarettes, vertically, disposed vanes arranged beneath said hopper and adapted to receive automatlcally cigarettes therefrom and arrange them in superimposed horizontal rows, a conveyer adapted to travel beneath said vanes and remove the clgarettes' one row at atime therefrom and 3 deposit the same in superimposed rows in 1 a channel, and a second conv'eyer adapted to remove periodically 'a' batch composed of a predetermined number of rows or ciga- V rettes from said channel. a

V 2. A cigarette feeding clevicecomprising vanes and remove cigarettes one rowat'a time therefrom and convey them throughv curved uides ada ted to brin theci 'at C! b b 'rettes into contact With one another, a channcl adapted to receive a predetermined number of superimposed rows of cigarettes from said conveyer, and a second conveyer adaptr v rettes from said channel.

ed to remove 'periodicallyabatch composed i of a predetermined number of rovvs of cigacigarette feeding device comprising iii-combination ahopper adapted to hold cigarettes, vertically disposed vanes located beneath said hopper and adapted to receive automaticallycigarettes.therefrom and ar- 3 range them in superimposed horizontal rows,

a conveyer adapted to travel beneath said vanes 'andremove the-,clga-rettes one rovv at 'a time betivee'n' guides adapted'to press the cigarettes into contact with one another, a

channel adapted to receive a predetermined 'n-umberof superimposed rows of cigarettes from-said ,conveyer, a compression mechanism operable through slotsin one of the:

guide. members-Which constitute said channel and adapted to 'compressfa batch com-J posed of a predetermined number of rows of c1garettes,-and-a second conveyer adapt edto remove saidbatch'ffrom said channel. I

4. Acigarette feeding device comprlsing in combination a hopper adapted to" hold "cigarettes, vertically disposed vanes located beneath said hopper and adapted to receive automatically cigarettes therefrom and ar range them in superimposed horizontal roWs, a conveyeradapted to travel beneath said vanes and remove cigarettes one'roW'at a time through guides adapted to pressthe cigarettes'of each I'OW into contact With one another a channel provided Witha com pression mechanism and adapted to receive a predetermined number of superimposed rows of cigarettes from said 'conveyer and compress them into a batch, means opera-- tively connected to said vanes adapted to be automaticallyv inserted between, two or more vanes to arrest the movement of one or more cigarettes of one or more of the rows comprising the batch, and a'second iconveyer adapted toremove'periodically the batch of cigarettes deposited in said channel.

WALTER EVERETT MOLINS. 

